“They did, didn’t they?” he asked, as he handed a dessert spoon wrapped in a deep red linen napkin to Leo and one to Matteo. “Here, this one’s for you,” he said, handing her one.
“Thank you,” she said, carefully unrolling her spoon from the napkin. Something fell out of her napkin and clattered to the plate her ramekin of Creme’ Brulee’ sat on. She nudged her dessert to the side to better see what had clattered against her plate, and froze.
She set her spoon down and reached for the item, as she blinked quickly, afraid to hope what she was hoping and have it not mean what she thought it did.
She picked up the ring — an oval cut ruby surrounded by a halo of white diamonds — and raised her eyes to Ronan.
Only he wasn’t where she thought he’d be, sitting in his chair. Instead he was on one knee beside her chair.
“Ronan?” she whispered.
“Giada, I love you. I love everything about you. And I love your boys. You make me a better male just by standing at my side. I’ll never stop working to be worthy of your trust and love, and of the trust and love of the boys, too. I promise that I will always cherish and honor all three of you. You are my life. You already know you’re my mate, but will you be my wife, too?”
Giada was trying to hold back her tears and no words would come.
“Say yes, Momma,” Leo said, swiping a hand across his own eyes as he cried.
Giada’s lips were trembling and she was nodding as she tried to force words out. “Yes,” she just barely managed to force out harshly. “Yes,” she said again, clearly this time.
Ronan took the ring from her hand and slipped it on her finger.
“I love you,” she said, leaning into his arms as he reached for her.
Everyone around them clapped.
Ronan kissed her, then wiped her tears with his thumbs before he kissed her again. “Best night of my life,” he said.
“Me, too,” she said, still sniffling.
The waiter had moved away to give them their time, but approached again. “Congratulations, Sir, Ma’am.”
“Thank you,” Giada said.
“I appreciate your help,” Ronan said.
Giada looked at him questioningly.
“When I went to find your necklace, I went back to the jewelry store I bought it in and bought the ring I had seen there the same day I’d bought your necklace. I ran it over here, and gave it to Justin to slip into your napkin during dessert.”
“Thank you so much for helping make this so special for me,” Giada said.
“I’m honored to have been a part of it.”
Leo got out of his chair and hugged his mother. “So we get to stay with Ronan forever now?” he asked.
“Yes. We’ll always be with Ronan,” Giada said, hugging Leo to her. “Is that okay?”
He nodded. “I wanted to stay with Ronan, but I was afraid that we’d have to leave one day.”
“Never!” Ronan and Giada both said.
Leo nodded and hugged his mother when she kissed him, then went straight to Ronan.
Ronan hugged him tightly. “I’m so proud to have you and your brother and your mother in my life,” Ronan said.
Leo hugged Ronan tightly, burying his face against his chest as he tried to get his emotions under control.
“You’re gonna make me cry,” Ronan said, poking him in the ribs gently.
